


Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Aren't Dead

by hamlets_scribe



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Hamlet - Shakespeare
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Missing Scene, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 18:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1520654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamlets_scribe/pseuds/hamlets_scribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern show up on he shores of England, things don't go quite as planned. Luckily, a blue box shows up around the same time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Aren't Dead

Rosencrantz handed over the letter when they reached the dock. He'd done exactly what he was supposed to do, with Guildenstern right by his side, and Prince Hamlet not far off. If all had gone according to plan, they would have returned to Denmark later the same week. All would have been well if Hamlet hadn't intercepted the letter.

The Englishman read the contents of the letter silently while the party of three stood to watch. His eyes narrowed as he looked toward the duo escorting Hamlet. The Prince let out a gleeful laugh and bolted from the dock. There was a crazed look in his eyes. Guildenstern almost asked what was going on, but too quickly the prince was gone. Escaped. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hadn't been aware that he was a prisoner until the moment he was free.

But unfortunately there were more pressing matters than their friend abandoning them on a dock. Within moments, the Englishman called for his men to capture the two of them, innocent as they may have been, and to bring them to the courthouse where they would meet the executioner.

There was a faint inhuman wheezing in the distance and too much commotion for anyone to notice. Rosencrantz started shouting as he struggled against a larger man's constraints. Guildenstern tried to punch his attacker, but it didn't deter his captor in any significant way.  
...

Rose Tyler and the Doctor emerged from the eerie blue box

"That's Rosencrantz over there." the Doctor said, pointing. "and that other one is Guildenstern"

"Really?" Rose said

"Or maybe it's the other way around. Yes, I think that's Rosencrantz and that guy is Guildenstern" he said with complete conviction.

"But they... That story... Wasn't it supposed to be fictional?"

"Do you think Shakespeare would invent anything from scratch?" he said with a laugh.

"But then doesn't that mean" Rose said apprehensively " that they're about to die?" Her voice started to break at the end.

"Oh don't give me that look. We can't interfere in something set in history like this."

"But Doctor!"

"Rose, they can't go back to Denmark"

"We can't just leave them to be killed. They don't deserve this"

"I know. I'm sorry. But when you've lived as long as I have, and seen as much death, you realize that not everyone can be saved."

"They don't have to go back to Denmark. The play never shows them dying, just disappearing"

The Doctor's doubt started to fade, and Rose pressed on.

"We just have to take them somewhere else. Somewhere they won't be noticed. We have to"

His eyes lit up. "Brilliant! Come on, let’s go!"  
...

The struggle continued between the two doomed messengers and the three burly men trying to take them down. They saw a dark-haired man in a blue suit and a blonde woman running towards them. They looked like they were from another world, with their pristinely clean clothing. He with his gel-sculpted hair and she with her bright pink dress and polyester jacket.

"Back off!" the Doctor shouted once they were within a few feet of the dock. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and the attackers shrieked in surprise at the blue light pointed at them. "Witchcraft!" they said, as they ran off to find the priest.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were too confused to say anything as their saviors ushered them away from the scene. "Come on we've got to get away before they come back and realize they could beat any one of us to a pulp and that the screwdriver can't stop them"

Guildenstern (or was it Rosencrantz?) broke his silence when they reached the blue box. "This is it? Haven't you got a ship? There's no proper rescue mission without a ship."

"Yeah there's no help getting us out of there if all you plan on doing is shoving us in a box" Rosencrantz agreed.

"It's much better than a ship. It's a TARDIS,” the Doctor said proudly as he pushed open the door and walked inside.

They saw the immense inside, obviously bigger than the outside, and froze.

"Well go on, you two," Rose urged. "We've got to get going."

She gave them a gentle nudge and they stumbled inside

They each spun around two or three times, looking in every direction while Rose followed behind them and closed the door, and the Doctor went over to the controls system.

"Are you French?" Rosencrantz asked loudly.

"Why would they be French, you idiot?" Guildenstern snapped.

"Well they're certainly not from England. Or from Denmark."

"We're not from France." the Doctor said, hunched over the controls system. "And I'm not from England"

"Who are you?" Guildenstern asked.

"I'm the Doctor"

"And let me guess, she's the nurse?" Guildenstern replied.

"No, I'm Rose. And this is the TARDIS. Short for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space."

"She can go anywhere" the Doctor cut in.

"Who, Rose?" said Rosencrantz.

"No. The TARDIS. She can take us anywhere. Where do you want to go?"

"I just want to go home" Guildenstern said, and Rosencrantz sighed in agreement.

"Sorry boys, you can't go home. Neither can I. I'm really sorry."

Everyone was silent just long enough for the mood to get uncomfortable.

"Why don't we take them to central park? Just sit back on a nice day and watch a performance of Shakespeare in the Park. Before we find them something permanent, that is."

A smile crept up onto the Doctor's face. "I think that's a great idea."

And at that, the TARDIS faded from the landscape, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern aboard, weary yet ready for a new adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation of the tags  
> It is a crossover fic, meaning it includes elements from more than one source. In this case, those sources are Hamlet and Doctor Who.  
> It is a one shot, meaning it is a single chapter posted all in one go, rather than a longer fic posted over several weeks or months.  
> Other parts of the overview info include a list of the involved fandoms, characters, and appropriate rating.  
> The category is Gen (general) which means that there are no romantic/sexual relationships in the story.


End file.
